Chapter 1465: Unreasonable

Fan Shuang nodded, seemingly understanding yet not, but believed him immediately. He Xiao's predictions were always accurate; whenever Fan Shuang was by his side, good fortune followed. In Fan Shuang's mind, He Xiao had long been unfathomable. There would be no mistake in following He Xiao's words.

The carriage arrived at Sanmentou Inn. Fan Shuang saw He Lingchuan off before driving away.

General Chongwu had just returned to his residence in Tianshui City. When he was a deputy general, he immediately spent a fortune to buy this house in Tianshui City from its bankrupt merchant owner, who used the property to settle debts. He had initially thought the house was quite good, but recently, for some reason, it felt increasingly small and less grand. Should he buy another large mansion? After all, his status and position were no longer what they used to be. He walked into the garden, pondering, as his servants quickly bowed ninety degrees, no longer slacking off as they once did.

Just then, an old servant rushed over and said, "General, there's a guest in Siyuan Hall."

General Chongwu stopped, "Siyuan Hall? Who is it?" This old servant had been with him for over a decade and was discreet in his actions. Leading a guest to Siyuan Hall meant the visitor was highly important.

"They wouldn't say, but you'll know when you see them."

General Chongwu immediately quickened his pace toward Siyuan Hall.

The hall was dimly lit, with windows half-closed and no servants present. As General Chongwu entered, he saw only a person in green robes seated at a table, wearing a veiled hat. Seeing him enter, the person in green did not rise, remaining seated, and simply said, "Close the door."

That voice… he hadn't misheard, had he? General Chongwu composed himself. After securely closing the windows and doors and setting up a barrier, he strode over to the person in green and said respectfully, "Palace Mistress! How did you come to be here?"

The person removed the veiled hat, revealing a noble, fair, and rosy face. It was Qingyang. Usually, it was Chongwu who paid his respects to her. He never expected Qingyang to condescend to visit his residence.

Qingyang placed the veiled hat on the table, carefully folding it. "You didn't tell me the truth before."

General Chongwu was greatly surprised. "How dare I deceive you!"

"That night in Zhuo'an, your tribute was clearly stolen. Why did you tell me nothing happened?"

General Chongwu immediately replied, "It was a minor matter, so insignificant that I didn't want to trouble you with it at the time. How did you... how did you know?"

"Your monarch expanded the scope of the manhunt. Any team within fifty to sixty li of Mangzhou that night will be questioned at their door!" Qingyang said coldly. "More than one person mentioned the incident at that inn that night, and more than one person mentioned you leading a team out to catch thieves!"

"What's wrong with that?" General Chongwu's mind raced, and he suddenly shivered. "They couldn't possibly think I killed Xue Zongwu, could they?!" That was the major event that night.

"What do you think?" Qingyang said coldly. "You left the inn before dark and were out all night. Who knows where you really went!"

"I was in the suburbs of Zhuo'an, and it was raining heavily that night. How could I have rushed to Mangzhou?"

"You have a divine steed. King Yao remembers that more clearly than you do."

Chongwu exclaimed, "Even riding Mo Bai, it would be extremely difficult to go to Mangzhou and back in one night. Not to mention, having to kill a crucial general of the state along the way..."

"Difficult to go back and forth?" Qingyang raised an eyebrow. "Can you, or can't you?"

"..." Chongwu hesitated. Qingyang was displeased. "Still holding back from me?"

Chongwu could only whisper, "I could just about make a round trip. But there would be no time to kill anyone." His Mo Bai could travel eight hundred li at night, primarily due to its excellent night vision, allowing it to see as clearly as day. Thus, darkness and heavy rain could hardly impede its movement.

When Chongwu first brought it into Tianshui City, he was not yet a general, but merely the son of a Bixia tribal leader. An official's son coveted Mo Bai and tried to forcibly buy it, which led to many disputes, so this fine horse was far from unknown. Later, as General Chongwu gained fame, promotions, and raises, more people referred to it as a renowned steed. Thinking of this, a chill ran down Chongwu's spine.

"Trouble," Qingyang sighed. "This will magnify your suspicion. Think of how many people are unhappy with your promotion; they will certainly spread malicious rumors. Moreover, with the Yao court unable to catch the killer, they won't let go of even the slightest clue."

General Chongwu blurted out, "But I was just going to apprehend the thieves who stole the tribute..."

"They were caught red-handed, and the tribute was recovered, right?" Qingyang had seen the confession records.

"Yes."

"Two petty thieves stole from six or seven teams and hid a large pile of stolen goods in an abandoned village?" Qingyang said lightly. "How did they transport the goods, and how did they evade your pursuit? You can even track a three-tailed fox demon, yet you chased two petty thieves until dawn. If I were King Yao, would I find such a statement reasonable?" Without waiting for Chongwu to reply, she continued, "You were traveling with hundreds of elites, yet your tribute could still be stolen by two petty thieves? What level of cultivation did those thieves have?"

"Local rogues," General Chongwu said, his brow increasingly beaded with cold sweat. "They had no cultivation or background, just nimble movements, and often committed crimes in that area."

"Did they confess?"

"I interrogated them. They admitted to committing crimes in the inn but insisted they hadn't stolen my tribute..."

Qingyang interrupted him, "What exactly did they say?"

"They said they stole some personal belongings from a few guests, went back to the abandoned village to divide the loot, and then lost consciousness. When they opened their eyes again, several large boxes of stolen goods inexplicably appeared in the room, and I had already arrived," General Chongwu answered truthfully. "After recovering the tribute, I was in a hurry to continue my journey, so I had them escorted to the county yamen."

"I also thought they had been framed at the time. But six merchant teams in the same inn were robbed, so I assumed the real thieves wanted to steal from them and used it as a diversion. Since the tribute was recovered, I... I just continued my journey."

Qingyang's expression darkened. Chongwu's thoughts and actions were reasonable at the time. He didn't have clairvoyance; how could he know what was happening dozens of li away? The problem was that the officials sent by King Yao to investigate would make unnecessary associations. After all, the explanation Chongwu provided indeed had suspicious elements. For instance, if his tribute had truly been stolen, why would the culprits frame two petty thieves and indirectly return it to Chongwu? There were vast wildernesses and wide lakes in the suburbs; they could have thrown it anywhere. Why would they risk being caught by luring them to a small abandoned village? If it didn't make sense, he would be suspected.

Chongwu whispered, "Please instruct me, Palace Mistress!" If the Palace Mistress wasn't concerned about this matter, why would she disguise herself and come in person?

Qingyang stated clearly, "When King Yao sends people to question you, you must answer truthfully and ensure your testimony doesn't conflict with others'. In any case, your presence in Zhuo'an rather than Mangzhou that night should have been your best alibi."